Diner: new musical expected in the fall of 2012

BASE Entertainment (Co-CEO's Scott Zeiger and Brian Becker) have announced that Diner, a new musical inspired by the 1982 MGM film of the same name, will come to Broadway in the fall of 2012.

With a book by Academy Award and Emmy Award winner Barry Levinson, with music and lyrics by Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow, Diner will be directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Kathleen Marshall.

Diner marks the Broadway debut of both Barry Levinson and Sheryl Crow. Prior to its Broadway bow, Diner will play a limited out of town engagement in a city to be determined in the summer of 2012.

Christmas 1959 in Baltimore and six high school buddies, now in their twenties, reunite as the second member of the group is about to tie the knot. Trying to deal with their new responsibilities, the group has awkwardly stumbled into adulthood and the only place they can make sense of their new lives is at their old hangout, The Fells Point Diner.

Design team and casting will be announced at a later date.

Barry Levinson said, "Diner was a pivotal moment in my career, and since then I have continued to live with the characters, realizing there is much more to their story. I'm excited to be embarking on this stage version, which affords me the opportunity as a storyteller to expand on my original vision and let the characters express their innermost feeling and thoughts through song."

Sheryl Crow said, "I was already a huge fan of Diner when Barry first approached me about writing a score for a theatrical re-telling of his film. I knew exactly who these men and women were and I feverishly began writing. Writing the score for Diner has been the most challenging and fulfilling experience of my career. I have always been a devotee and student of musical theatre, and I am very excited to be making this journey with Barry and Kathleen."

Released in 1982, Diner was Barry Levinson's screen directing debut, and he received an Academy Award nomination for his original screenplay. The bittersweet comedy starred Kevin Bacon, Ellen Barkin, Tim Daly, Steve Guttenberg, Paul Reiser, Mickey Rourke and Daniel Stern.

Bios:

Barry Levinson (Book) was awarded the 1988 Best Director Oscar for the multiple Academy Award winning "Rain Man," starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise. In 1987, Levinson directed Robin Williams in the comedy "Good Morning Vietnam." 1991 saw the release of "Bugsy," which was directed and produced by Levinson, and was nominated for ten Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Levinson has used his hometown as the setting for four widely praised features that include his directorial debut "Diner," as well as "Tin Men," "Avalon" and "Liberty Heights." His career began as a writer on television for shows including "The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine," "The Tim Conway Show," and "The Carol Burnett Show" for which he won two Emmy Awards. As a screenwriter, Levinson has received three Academy Award nominations, for "...And Justice for All," "Diner," and "Avalon."

Sheryl Crow (Music & Lyrics) career began as a jingle and back-up singer. She released her debut album in 1993, the seven times platinum "Tuesday Night Music Club," which earned three Grammys (Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance). 1996's triple platinum "Sheryl Crow" earned Grammys for Best Rock Album and Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, and 1998's platinum "The Globe Sessions" also garnered the Best Rock Album Grammy. 2003 saw the release of Crow's greatest hits compilation, the four times platinum "The Very Best of Sheryl Crow," followed by 2005's platinum "Wildflower." 2008 saw the release of "Detours," and in 2010 she released her seventh studio album, "100 Miles From Memphis."

Kathleen Marshall (Director & Choreographer) won her third Tony Award for choreographing the Roundabout Theatre's 'Anything Goes,' which she also directed. Other Broadway credits include 'The Pajama Game' for which she won her second choreography Tony Award, 'Wonderful Town' for which she won her first Tony Award, 'Grease,' 'Boeing-Boeing,' 'Little Shop of Horrors,' 'Follies,' 'Seussical,' 'Kiss Me, Kate,' '1776' and 'Swinging on a Star.' Her Off-Broadway credits include 'Two Gentlemen of Verona' (New York Shakespeare Festival), 'Saturday Night' (Second Stage), 'Violet' (Playwrights Horizons) and 'As Thousands Cheer' (Drama Dept). For City Center Encores! she directed and choreographed 'Bells Are Ringing,' 'Applause,' 'Carnival,' 'Hair' and 'Babes in Arms,' among others, and she served as Artistic Director for four seasons.